Why Neanderthals evolved different faces than homo sapiens

[DetlefK]

https://gizmodo.com/why-neanderthals-had-faces-that-were-so-different-from-1824288723

From fossilized evidence, we know that Neanderthals didn’t look like us. Though still technically human and featuring very human-like characteristics, they were shorter, more robust, and physically stronger. But they also featured distinctive faces, with heavy brows, weak chins, a large, forward-projecting face, and a wide nose. Some of these characteristics, such as the brow and chin, were likely acquired from their ancestors, but the other features are so distinctive that paleontologists figure they must’ve evolved for a special reason.

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Looking at the study’s findings, the models showed very few differences in chewing capacity between the three human species tested. An in fact, modern humans appear to be better equipped for heavy biting than Neanderthals (a finding that even surprised the researchers). This means the “big chewers” hypothesis for Neanderthal faces is now seriously in doubt. The other two theories, however, fared a bit better.

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Most strikingly, however, the scientists found that Neanderthals could move more air through their nasal pathways than either H. heidelbergensis or H. sapiens.

“Where Neanderthals really stand out is in their ability to move and condition large volumes of air in and out of their nasal passages—twice as effective as we are,” said Wroe. “This supports the argument that they had high-energy lifestyles.” As noted, this “high-energy” lifestyle may have involved intense foraging and the hunting of big game in harsh climates, burning off large amounts of fuel stores to stay warm, or a combination of the two. “Our results show that Neanderthals were not better-adapted to bite hard—but they are well-adapted to conditions of cold/dry air relative to heidelbergensis.”



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Hidden in the text is a side-note that gets picked up in the comment-section: Neanderthals burned 1.5 to 2 times more calories than a homo sapiens.

This means, a given area can provide food for twice as many homo sapiens hunter/gatherers as for Neanderthal hunter/gatherers.

And it's a major advantage if your tribe is twice as big as the other tribe.

[marble falls]

1. Good stuff!

[Nitram]

2. Very interesting discussion.

I could sure use wider nasal passages. A stuffy nose seem to be a genetic trait I've inherited from my mother.